Science in the Balance

When scientists let popular evolutionary claims trump the clear teaching of Scripture,
most creationists are quick to recognize this as a sell-out. But could we be guilty of a similar
error if we rely on the latest theories of creationists to help us interpret Scripture?

Even those of us who hold a solid view of the Bible may be undermining its
authority!

Let’s look at a very subtle and effective way that our Enemy sometimes undermines
trust in the Scriptures.

One day I was discussing a view about Noah’s Flood with a highly respected
scientist who is a Christian. As I related my understanding of what happened,
his response shocked me. He said that scientists (meaning Christian scientists
that he knew) were not sure yet what happened—the jury was still out!

Amazed, I looked at him and said, “What does the Scripture say?”

I was surprised because the meaning of the text was very plain and would not
be questioned by Hebrew scholars. He would not take a position because it may
not fit with scientific models that he was familiar with. Essentially, he was
giving science priority over the text of the Bible!

The text of Scripture trumps any theory
of science, and science is not a priority tool
of biblical interpretation.

I know that the secular world does this all the time, but I have seen Christian
scientists with a solid view of the Bible do the same thing. I am sure they
do not mean to, and I am sure they believe that the Bible always trumps the
opinions of scientists. And yet, in practice—perhaps out of habit or as an occupational
hazard—they first think in terms of scientific theory rather than what God has
said.

If the Bible says in clear text that something happened, then it did. And while
that act of God may not be something we can comprehend or fit under some known
scientific law, that does not in any way diminish the fact of it.

Let me state this danger of undermining Scripture another way. When contemplating
some miracle in the Bible, too often our first reaction is to say, “I wonder
what principle God used to do this.”

There are times God used some natural law as a tool. In fact, we can define
“natural law” as the normal, consistent way that God accomplishes His will.
But God is not limited to natural laws; He sometimes acts in an unusual way
to accomplish an extraordinary result. He is transcendent and so can do whatever
He wishes, including performing miracles.

When studying the supernatural in the Bible, we see three possibilities:

Perhaps God used a known law, principle, or material to accomplish an unusual
result. For example, God used wind to drive back the water of the Red Sea.

Perhaps God used a law that has not yet been discovered or is simply beyond
human understanding.

Perhaps what happened cannot be described by any natural
law because God chose to act in an unusual and non-repeatable way.

We must allow that sometimes God does what He wishes in an unusual way, inaccessible
to the methods of science. He simply wants it and speaks.

During creation week, God worked beyond the laws of nature. That is, God’s
way of creating the universe was not necessarily the same as the way He upholds
it today (Genesis 2:2). God spoke, and the world came into being. No natural
laws, no universal timeless scientific principles, no laboratory mixing—simply
and purely the will of God expressed through His voice (Genesis 1).

So now apply this as we endeavor to understand the workings of God. Many times
we might speculate, “How did God do it?” But to assume that God always works
through natural laws just because He usually does would be a leap in logic.
In always looking for some natural, scientific understanding to explain what
the Bible says God did, we void the possibility of supernatural activity. God
is the God of both the natural and the supernatural.

Recognizing the real possibility of option three above, we have an absolute
reason always to accept the Bible at face value when God says what happened.
God’s Word has priority. The Bible stands with supreme authority.

If the Bible says something happened, we are to believe it, up front, right
away, without hesitation. We are to teach what the Bible says and let scientific
research and discovery catch up to the truth of Scripture. Science is not a
priority tool of biblical interpretation.

I thank the Lord for scientists who are Christians. They are a blessing, and
their discoveries continue to confirm and excite us about the text of the Bible.
But they do not stand between the text and us.

When we decide to wait until a Christian scientist verifies some event before
we interpret Scripture, we are undermining the authority of Scripture. In fact,
the temptation to reinterpret the plain meaning of the text may often spring
from the view that every event in Scripture can be explained scientifically.

Science is a powerful, God-given tool, but only the Bible is true in every
aspect; the text trumps any theory of science. Its truth does not wait for verification
from us.

Discussion Questions

Read Romans 3:3–4, John 17:17,
and Proverbs 3:5–6. Bearing in mind
that these passages are from very
different contexts, do they teach a
common principle that applies to
conflicts between science and the
Bible? What should we do if the
Bible makes a claim that seems to
be irreconcilable with what we know
about the universe?

What does 1 Corinthians 2:1–5 tell
us about the relationship between
scientific reasoning and God’s Word?
What does verse 5 indicate about the
danger of putting too much weight on
what appear to be logical arguments
and scientific reasoning?

Does Paul’s approach to the
Corinthians (in the previous question)
mean that the Christian has no use
for logic and scientific reasoning?
How does Paul’s approach in Acts
17:16–32 help answer this question?

2 Peter 1:3–4 states that the Bible
is sufficient for salvation. What does
verse 5 tell us? Is all knowledge
contained in the Bible? How does
Proverbs 1:7 relate to this question?
What is the value of knowledge
that is not to be found somewhere
between Genesis and Revelation?

If the Bible trumps science, what
is the point of scientific study? Is
there more to studying science than
simply getting the tools to reach the
culture we live in? How do Romans
1:20–23, Psalm 19, and Genesis
8:22 inform us about the purposes
of scientific study?

Read Genesis 1:28. How does this
command apply to the study of
science?

Has this study changed the way you
will look at scientific analyses of
scriptural events? If so, how?

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Biblical Authority Discussion Questions: Science in the Balance

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